Day 7 - Cartagena , Colombia

The temperature has been rising steadily from 22/24 deg.C in Fort lauderdale to 32/34 deg.C here in Cartagena today.
The city lies in a bay and it was a nice entrance to the city with a coastal fort and the new district Bocagrande with skyscrapers. Slightly reminiscent of Miami. See video from entrance in post below.
The cruise terminal is located in an industrial harbor (not so interesting) by Manga district, about 2 km from the old town.
It was too hot to sit on our balcony this morning because the sun was directly in. After breakfast we set therefore in the shade on the upper deck and read. Here was a nice breeze.
After lunch we took a taxi to the old city. We were dropped off at the city's landmark - clock tower at the entrance to the old city (see pictures below). Streets and houses are very picturesque and there are some marvelous churches. Everything strangely quite well preserved. The city has retained much of its Spanish origin and is not to compare with neither Colon and Puerto Limon.
See the video fro out walk through the old city in post below.

We sat at a cafe on the Plaza de Santo Domingo and got a local beer (actually ordered cola!) Before late afternoon took a taxi back to the ship.
We sat and read / knitted little on our balcony before we went down to eat dinner in the restaurant and walked around the ship before bedtime.
The temperature has been rising steadily from 22/24 deg.C in Fort lauderdale to 32/34 deg.C here in Cartagena today.
The city lies in a bay and it was a nice entrance to the city with a coastal fort and the new district Bocagrande with skyscrapers. Slightly reminiscent of Miami. The cruise terminal is located in an industrial harbor (not so interesting) by Manga district, about 2 km from the old town.

Cartagena , Colombia
 Cartagena is a city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of the Bolívar Department. It is the fifth-largest city in Colombia and the second largest in the region, after Barranquilla. The Cartagena urban area is also the fifth-largest urban area in the country. Economic activities include maritime and petrochemicals industry, as well as tourism.

The city was founded on June 1, 1533, and named after Cartagena, Spain, itself after the original Carthage in Tunisia. However, settlement in this region around Cartagena Bay by various indigenous people dates back to 4000 BC. During the colonial period Cartagena served a key role in administration and expansion of the Spanish empire. It was a center of political and economic activity due to the presence of royalty and wealthy viceroys. In 1984 Cartagena's colonial walled city and fortress were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Downtown
 The Downtown area of Cartagena has varied architecture, mainly a colonial style, but republican and Italian style buildings, such as the Cathedral's bell tower, can be seen.

The official entrance to downtown Puerta del Reloj (Clock Gate), which comes out onto Plaza de los Coches (Square of the Carriages). A few steps farther is the Plaza de la Aduana (Customs Square), next to the mayor's office. Nearby is San Pedro Claver Square and the church also named for Saint Peter Claver, where the body of the Jesuit saint ('Saint of the African slaves') is kept in a casket, as well as the Museum of Modern Art.

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